Wooden furniture are a sustainable choice and easy on the pocket since high quality furniture will last for ages. With the right care you can maintain the same piece of furniture for all your life. 

Wooden furniture can be always fixed in case of colour stains or smudges on the surface or smaller size of dents or breakage. However if the colour stain has already penetrated deep into the surface or the surface has broken badly you might need to sand and treat the piece of furniture again entirely. 

To keep your wooden furniture looking fine the test of time they need to be maintained regularly. Here's a 4 step checklist to take care of your wooden indoor furniture:

1. Dust 

Make dusting a habit. Surfaces should be dusted weekly. You can use a duster or a soft cloth for dusting. You want to avoid grime from building up over the surface and creating sturdy layers of dirt. Dusting also removes any dirt particles and prevents them from scratching the surface of your furniture.

2. Clean with a suitable wood cleaner

Often it is enough to wipe the furniture down with only water. If a more decent cleanse is needed for most furniture it is safe to use warm water with few drops of dish soap. You can wipe the furniture with a soft cloth and soapy water.  

However sometimes you want to freshen up the furniture from sturdy layers of grime or any unpleasant odours. For this purpose you can use WOODCARE.GUIDE Oil Soap or Wood Soap. Oil Soap can be used for cleaning finished wood and Wood Soap can be used for cleaning untreated surfaces.

Only use suitable cleaning products for your furniture. For knowing what fits your furniture you need to know what kind of wood your furniture is and if you furniture is untreated or treated. If your furniture is treated you need to find out with what it is treated.

When you know all this information go to find the right product from your local hardware or furniture store or online store. Make sure the cleaning detergent doesn't have any abrasives, silicones or ammonia since these can cause damage on you furniture.

3. Treat or protect

Treated woods

To protect oil finished wood you can use furniture oil. WOODCARE.GUIDE Furniture Oil not only protects the surface of furniture but it also removes dirt and grease. This furniture oil has a perfect consistency that is easy to apply evenly and it absorbs quickly. Furniture Oil will give your furniture a beautiful, dull finish. 

WOODCARE.GUIDE Furniture oil is not suitable for untreated, lacquered or painted wood. WOODCARE.GUIDE Furniture Oil can be used on waxed wooden furniture as well but then the color of the furniture might get slightly darker.

For wax treated furniture we recommend WOODCARE.GUIDE Natural Wax Oil. It can be used for all types of wood and you can also apply it on oil treated furniture. Natural Wax Oil is food grade and it can be used on surfaces touching food or surfaces that babies or kids might put in their mouths such as wooden toys or chair armrests. 

Untreated woods 

If your furniture is untreated it might be a good idea to consider treating the surface because that will protect the wood from stains, dents and environmental changes such as humidity and temperature fluctuation. Lacquer treatment will last longer and provide a better protection from spills and color stains. Oil and wax treatment will wear off way quicker but it can be easily treated again.

If you decide to treat your wooden furniture take into consideration whether you want to either treat the surface more often quickly or you want to treat and sand the surface thoroughly every 10-20 years. Lacquer will last for a long time even 30 years depending on the product but eventually it will start to dry out and crack. Then you're going to need to sand the furniture and apply 3-4 thin layers of lacquer.

Wax and oil treated furniture need to be maintained yearly depending on the treating product. Often it is recommended to treat oil and wax finished surfaces every 6 to 12 moths. Since there's no hardened lacquer cover over the surface the oil or wax finish will start to wear off when used. The furniture you use more will also wear off quicker.

4. Avoid future damage 

Use coasters and potholders when placing glasses, mugs or hot food plates. Using a tablecloth or placemat will also protect the surface from water spills, scratching or food stains.

Also keep in mind that heat and sunlight damages wooden furniture. UV-light can cause discoloring so it is best to place your most precious wooden furniture farther from the windows. Keep your furniture away from heating and cooling sources or places where there is sudden temperature or humidity changes.

Clean spills or stains right away to avoid them from penetrating into the wood or creating discoloration. It is helpful to have a suitable wood cleaner on hand to quickly remove spills or smudges.